2022 Regular Session

BySenators Honeyford, Hasegawa, Lovick, Padden, Wagoner, and J. Wilson

Prefiled 12/07/21.Read first time 01/10/22.Referred to Committee on State Government & Elections.

AN ACT Relating to uniform standard time for the state of Washington; amending RCW 1.20.050 and 35A.21.190; amending 2019 c 297 s 4 (uncodified); creating a new section; repealing RCW 1.20.051; providing a contingent effective date; and providing a contingent expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the state of Washington would benefit from the consistency and predictability of observing a standard time throughout the calendar year. Research has shown that changing to and from daylight saving time twice per year has negative impacts on public health, increases traffic accidents and crime, disrupts agriculture scheduling, and hinders economic growth. Scientific studies have connected a number of health consequences with the act of switching between standard time and daylight saving time, including greater risks of heart attacks, more frequent workplace injuries, and increased suicide rates in the days immediately following the switch. In addition, there are other political subdivisions within the United States that are petitioning congress for year-round daylight saving time or have changed their time zone over the years to create more consistency across the United States for convenience of commerce. The legislature passed Substitute House Bill No. 1196 in 2019 authorizing the state to observe daylight saving time year-round if authorized by the United States congress. However, congress has not amended federal law to authorize states to observe daylight saving time year-round. Therefore, the legislature intends to exercise the rights granted under the uniform time act, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 260a(a), and exempt the state of Washington from the observance of daylight saving time and remain standard time year-round until congress authorizes states to observe daylight saving time year-round. The legislature also recognizes the potential impact the time zone has on communities along the border between Washington and other states and intends to allow the state to continue to review whether Pacific Standard Time should remain the standard time for Washington state or whether the state should seek authorization through the United States department of transportation to change Washington state to Mountain Standard Time year-round if year-round daylight saving time is not authorized by congress.

Sec. 2. RCW 1.20.050 and 1953 c 2 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The standard time for the state of Washington is the zone designated by the United States department of transportation for the state of Washington under the uniform time act, 15 U.S.C. Secs. 261 and 263, as determined by reference to coordinated universal time.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary by the United States government relating to adoption of daylight saving time by all of the states, the state of Washington elects to reject such time and elects to continue in force the terms of subsection (1) of this section, relating to standard time in Washington.

(3) No county, city, or other political subdivision of this state shall adopt any provision for the observance of daylight saving time, or any time other than standard((, except pursuant to a gubernatorial proclamation declaring an emergency during a period of national war and authorizing such adoption, or)) unless ((other than standard))another time is established on a national basis: PROVIDED, That this section shall not apply to orders made by federal authorities in a local area entirely under federal control.

(4) This section shall not be construed to affect the standard time established by United States law governing the movements of common carriers engaged in interstate commerce or the time for performance of an act by an officer or department of the United States, as established by a statute, lawful order, rule, or regulation of the United States or an agency thereof.

Sec. 3. RCW 35A.21.190 and 1967 ex.s. c 119 s 35A.21.190 are each amended to read as follows:

No code city shall adopt any provision for the observance of daylight saving time other than as authorized by RCW 1.20.050 ((and 1.20.051)).

Sec. 4. 2019 c 297 s 4 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

(1) RCW 1.20.050 (Standard time—Daylight saving time) and 2021 c . . . s 2 (section 2 of this act) & 1953 c 2 s 1; and

(2) ((RCW 1.20.051 (Daylight saving time) and 2018 c 22 s 2, 1963 c 14 s 1, & 1961 c 3 s 1; and

(3)))RCW 1.20.052 and 2019 c 297 s 1.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. RCW 1.20.051 (Daylight saving time) and 2018 c 22 s 2, 1963 c 14 s 1, & 1961 c 3 s 1 are each repealed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Section 3 of this act expires when the contingency in section 5, chapter 297, Laws of 2019 occurs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Section 4 of this act takes effect when the contingency in section 5, chapter 297, Laws of 2019 occurs.